Criminal cash concealed as sandwiches seized at Essex port

A man has been jailed after officers seized £70,000 cash, wrapped in foil, disguised as “sandwiches”.
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On Friday 8 September, Mariusz Raczynski was jailed for 20 weeks for concealing criminal property when he pleaded guilty at the first hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court.
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Less than two months ago, officers from the Rural Engagement Team (RET) were conducting routine checks in Harwich when they were alerted to a lorry that was driving the wrong way in what appeared to be an attempt to avoid detection (27 July).
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RET officers arrested the driver, 28-year-old Marius Raczynski on suspicion of money laundering, after officers found a bag in the cab containing silver foil packets the size of packets of sandwiches.

Once opened, the RET officers discovered £70,000 of cash and worked closely with the Proactive Money Laundering Team [PMLT] of the Serious Crime Directorate to secure a charge.
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Sergeant Paul Brady, said:

“Here in the Rural Engagement Team, we focus mainly on crimes that affect our rural communities, but we won’t turn a blind eye to other crimes.
“Policing is about being in the right place at the right time and to take effective action that will bring perpetrators to justice and keep everyone safe.”
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Detective Constable Megan Tighe, leading the investigation, said:

“In this case, our Rural Engagement Team colleagues were very proactive and alert to what was happening, meaning an arrest was quickly made.
“As the PMLT, we’ve worked hard to build the case and prove that the seized cash could only have come from crime.
“In just two months, that collaboration and our hard work throughout the investigation has resulted in a conviction."